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92nd Giro d'Italia - GT

Italy, May 9-31, 2009

Stage 8 - Saturday, May 16: Morbegno - Bergamo, 209km

Complete live report

Live commentary by Gregor Brown

13:59 CEST
Ciao! Welcome to Cyclingnews' coverage of the centennial Giro d'Italia. Today is a medium-mountain day from Morbegno to Bergamo, 209 kilometres.

Riders will face the Culmine di San Pietro, Colle del Gallo and the unclassified climb of Bergamo Alta. The climb to the top of Bergamo's historic city will leave 3.45 kilometres to race, all downhill.

14:01 CEST
Attacks and counter-attacks filled the first kilometres, until, at kilometre 34, a move broke free. Dario Cataldo (Quick Step) and David López García (Caisse d'Epargne) broke free near the city of Portone.

14:19 CEST
Danilo Di Luca (LPR Brakes-Farnese Vini), the maglia rosa, won Lombardia in 2001. "I will try again in Bergamo," he said to La Gazzetta dello Sport. "I hope for an all-day escape, but if they are pulled back before the last kilometres so I can have a try."

Stefano Garzelli (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) may have a try today to repeat his win of two years ago in Bergamo. Before Garzelli, the other Bergamo stage winners were Giuseppe Saronni (1983), Felice Gimondi (1976), Oreste Conte (1952) and Diego Barabelli (1938).

15:05 CEST
What do you think about that descent of Alessandro Bertolini (Diquigiovanni) yesterday? The oldest rider in the centennial Giro d'Italia started the eventual escape of five men. Thanks to the 37-year-old, 21-year-old Edvald Boasson Hagen (Columbia-Highroad) won the stage to Chiavenna.

"I am feeling better and better, I tried today," said Bertolini after the stage. "I told Gibo [Gilberto Simoni (Diquigiovanni) - ed.] to stay behind me for the descent because it was dangerous.

"Instead, I got away, and it was better because it was not an easy descent. I believed in myself, and still enjoy the win of last year. I will try again."

15:07 CEST 116km/93km to go
LPR continues to control affairs, the gap is 4:12.

15:13 CEST
"It's my first time at a Grand Tour, so I hope to come through this race and see how I do," said stage winner Edvald Boasson Hagen (Columbia-Highroad) after his win. "I also like I just want to do my best and see how I go. In a few years, I'll see how good I can be, whether I am a Classic rider or a stage racer."

15:14 CEST
Lampre is working at the head of the group, travelling at 51km/h.

15:14 CEST
The gap is 3:52.

15:16 CEST
The riders are racing under sun. They have been going for three hours.

15:17 CEST
"I can sprint if the group is not too big, and I think I did a great sprint today [yesterday - ed]," continued Edvald Boasson Hagen (Columbia-Highroad). He will be 22 years old tomorrow, the day of the Milano circuit. "I will ride for Cavendish, trying to help him first."

15:21 CEST
The maglia ciclamino, Petacchi, is protecting the maglia rosa, Danilo 'The Killer' Di Luca (LPR Brakes-Farnese Vini). Di Luca wants to win this stage, it is a perfect finish for a rider with a strong punch on a short climb and a strong kick for a possible sprint.

15:23 CEST
Lampre had five men on the front now, tearing it up over the roads near Credaro.

15:27 CEST
The racers pass through Sondrio, Lecco, Como and Bergamo today. The ten men had a maximum advantage of 4:30 not too long ago, but now it has fallen drastically, near 2:30.

15:29 CEST
The gap is now 2:10.

15:39 CEST
The peloton passes the lovely Lago di Iseo. The ten men are trading pulls in the escape, near the town of Predore.

In the middle of the Lago there is the island of Monte Isola. 1700 people live on the island.

The gap is 1:50.

15:44 CEST
"We started to race for Cunego, he is going well. Unfortunately, this escape is strong and going well. But we will give it a try and over the next kilometres we will get an idea of how it goes," said directeur sportif Brent Copeland of Lampre.

"I am calm, even if the last days I thought I would have something great," Cunego said. "Maybe I made a mistake, but the Giro long and there are more chances to be had."

15:47 CEST
An update on Pedro Horrillo (Rabobank): Assistants found his bike and then found the rider off the side of Culmine. Medics took the Spaniard to the hospital and he is reported in serious condition.

15:51 CEST
It was about 60 metres below the bike where they found Pedro Horrillo (Rabobank), according to race director Angelo Zomegnan. He is in bad condition and heading to the hospital in Bergamo. From 1 to 5, in level of seriousness, he is rated at 3+.

15:53 CEST 153km/56km to go
Copeland has his Lampre men pounding the pavement along the shores of Lago di Iseo. The gap is 1:22.

The front 10 men are working in a counter-clockwise motion, trading pulls.

16:06 CEST 163.3km/45.7km to go
The tifosi are out in numbers today to see the riders race over the climb. They will see a seven-time Tour de France winner fly by in less than one minute.

16:10 CEST 165km/44km to go
Evgeni Petrov (Katusha), David López García (Caisse d'Epargne), Héctor González (Fuji-Servetto) and Dario Cataldo (Quick Step) lead by 19" over the others and 1:15 over the main group.

16:13 CEST
The leader four are approaching the Colle del Gallo, used so many times in the past the Giro di Lombardia. It is about 450m of climbing, topping out at kilometre 182.3.

16:17 CEST
An update on Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Slipstream), who crashed in the opening days of the race. He has one broken rib, sprains and contusions in middle-lower back and a hairline fracture of his pelvic bone. He should be back racing for the Tour de Suisse, though.